Egg carton



March 16, 1965 K Tl BUTTERY 3,173,598

EGG CARTON Filed Jan. 2, l 964 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 J0 g f INVEN TOR.

March 16, 1965 K. T. BUTTERY EGG CARTON 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 2, 1964 INVENTOR. uzezy March 16, 1965 K. T. BUTTERY EGG CARTON 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 2, 1964 INVENTOR. uffa@ jfezzzze f5 1| Humm 1 1 afi@ United States Patent O 3,173,598 EGG CARTON Kenneth T. Butter-y, Kalamazoo, Mich., assigner to KVP Sutherland Paper Company, Kalamazoo, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 2, 1964, Ser. No. 334,994 7 Claims. (Cl. 229-28) The present invention relates to egg cartons, and is more particularly concerned with a collapsible cellular egg carton having several novel structural features particularly designed for the purpose of accommodating large eggs with decreased danger of breakage.

For various reasons chickens are currently producing larger eggs than previously. This has caused a substantial problem for the packaging industry. An obvious solution would of course be to increase the size of the egg cartons. However, certain factors mitigate against the desirability of such a solution. First, there is the added cost of larger cartons. Second, crates and bulk packages in which egg cartons are packed have become universally standardized, and the institution of a larger size carton would require renovation of present egg transporting facilities. Moreover, not all eggs are large and, if smaller eggs were to be placed in cartons designed exclusively for large eggs, they would be subject to a greatly increased danger of breakage.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an egg carton of standard size which will accommodate larger eggs. It is another object to provide an egg carton which will accommodate both larger and smaller eggs in the same carton. It is a further obiect to provide a carton which is strong and offers a high degree of protection against breakage for eggs of all sizes, and in which the material previously cut out of the blank due to egg socket formation is utilized in the formation of supporting members. It is still a further object to provide a carton designed for containing a dozen eggs, which carton has means provided for being severed in half, each half being capable of serving as a separate container and otfering a relatively high degree of protection even to the eggs adjacent to the severed area. The accomplishment of the foregoing and additional objects will become more fully apparent hereinafter.

The invention in its preferred embodiment is illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. l is a plan view of the blank from which the carton is formed.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary top view showing the carton with the cover ope-n.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal section.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional View taken at the line 4-4 of FIGS. 2 and 3.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional View taken at the line 5 5 of FIGS. 2 and 3, and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a completed carton with cover closed.

Reference is now made to the accompanying drawings for a better understanding of the invention, wherein all the parts are numbered and wherein the same numbers are used to refer to corresponding parts throughout,

In a preferred form, the carton of the invention is constucted from an integral blank, illustrated in FIG. 1. The basic carton structure, as shown in the drawings, comprises a rear wall 1, a lower front wall member 2, a bottom 3 hingedly connected to the front wall 2 at a score line 4, and hingedly connected to the rear wall at a score line S. A cover 6 is hingedly connected to the rear wall 1 at a score line 7 and is provided at its swinging edge with a closure lap 8 which serves as an upper front wall member when the cover is closed. A perforated transverse separation line 9 extends the entire length of the blank and permits the carton to be severed into two separate complete halves. The closure flap 8 on each side of the transverse separation line has a pair of facing closure tongues 10 and 11. The closure tongues are beveled to facilitate their engagement with the forward wall of the carton. A pair of bifurcated guide tongues 12 are located one between each pair of closure tongues.

The compartments and supporting structure are defined by a pair of horizontally oriented structures comprising an upper cell member 13 and a lower cell member 14. The upper cell member is hingedly connected to the front wall at a score line 15. A supporting strip 16 is hingedly connected to the upper cell member 13 along one edge at a score line 17, and hingedly connected to the lower cell member 14 at a score line 19. The supporting strip 16 is adhesively atlixed to the rear wall 1 at a glue area la. The lower cell member 14 is adhesively affixed to the front wall 2 by means of an attaching tlap 20. When the carton is thus assembled, the upper and lower cell members 13 and 14 respectively are oriented in parallel relationship to each other and to the bottom 3 of the carton, as illustrated in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5.

The lower cell member 14 is slit and scored to provide support members 21. The support members 21 are so cut and scored that they may be readily pushed out except tor an area at one end which remains hingedly connected by a hinge 22. An egg socket 23 is formed thereby, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, which receives and supports the midsection of the eggs. The socket is provided sufciently large to permit the eggs to be positioned at an angle from the vertical, in order that large size eggs may be placed therein. The support members 21 each comprise a dovetail neck 24 hinged at hinge 22 to the lower cell member 14. The support member 21 is slit and scored to provide a diametrically oriented hinge 27 dividing the member into a strut 25 and a toe 26. The diametrical slitting and scoring is so arranged that a small tab 27a is formed, which, when the support member 21 is properly erected, extends and engages transverse detents 23 provided by scoring of the bottom 3. The cooperation between the tabs 27a and the detents 28 prevents the struts from slipping out of position and strengthens the end walls and interior walls of the carton. If desired, detents may be provided for each tab. Keeper slots 29 are formed by the removal of the dovetail neck 24, and serve to engage structures of the upper cell member 13.

The upper cell member 13 is slit and scored to provide outer cell walls 3l) and 31, inner cell walls 32 and 33 having feet 33a, and inner cell walls 34 and 3S having Ifeet 34a and 35a, all of the said Walls being generally vertically disposed and running transversely of the carton. The outer cell walls 31 at the center of the carton are so designated because, when the carton is divided in half along the transverse score line 9, the outer cell walls 31 become in fact outer walls at the newly formed outer end of the carton, and must be capable of support equal to that of the original outer cell walls 30. The outer cell walls 30 and 31 are hingedly connected to the upper cell member 13 at score lines 36 and 37, and comprise wall members 33 and 39, and strut members 46 and 41 having wings 42 and 43 laterally aixed thereto as extensions of the cell walls. The wall members 38 and 39 are provided with toes 44 and 45 which aid in stabilizing the assembly. The external edges of the upper cell member, preferably at approximately the mid-position of each end wall member, are cut to provide arcuate protuberances 46 and 47 which are turned up as integral parts of the front wall 2 and supporting strip 16 when the carton is erected, thus serving to rigidize the structure.

The inner cell walls 32 comprise support members 48 and locking tongues 49. Hingedly supporting the inner cell walls 32 are triangular hinge members 50 and 51, the

3V Y hinge members 51 at the forward wall of the carton also serving as means to engage the closure tongues and 11 of the closure ilap 8 in order tosecure the carton cover 6.

The carton blank, scored and cut as shown in FIG. l, is f erected .into a nished carton by folding the various The attaching 'flap a rear wall, and a cover hingedly connected to said rear wall, all Icooperating to dene an enclosure, anv upper cell member and a lower cell member each aiiixed at one edge lto said frontl walland at the other edge tol said rear wall arrangedin vertically -s'pace'd substantially parallelreltationship 4to each other when said carton is erected, said lower cell'lmember being fcut and scored tof provide la plurality of Vegg socket openings therein Veach terminating in a keeper socket and having a strut hingedly connected toV said lower cell member at each of said keeper sockets and vertically oriented to engage Y said bottom, said upper cell memberbeing suitably 'slit downward about the hinge 22. As a result, the egg sock# Y,

ets 23 are formed communicating with theV keeper slots 29. Y

The cell compartments and end walls'are erected by depressing the'outer cell walls 30-and 31, fracturing theV various separation lines provided, and causing them to be hinged yat thescore lines-36 and 37; As the outer cell walls engage the scoredrsupportingmembers 21 'of the lower cell member the supporting members are punched out -along the separation lines provided. The supportingv members 21 are bent at their diametrical hinge lines 27 and, in fully erected position, form a vertically oriented supporting strutA 25 and a horizontally oriented toe 26 engaging the bottom 3 of the carton, with the tab 27a engagingthe detents 28.' The outer cell walls 30 and` 31 continue to swing to a vertical position, the apex of the dovetailed struts 40 and 41 being engaged within the keeper slots 29 and remaining in locked position, and the ends of the struts 40 and 41 engaging the toes 26, asshown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Whena structure is used in which the support members 21 are not provided with toes 26, the.. ends of the struts 40-and 41 engage the bottom 3 directly.

The inner cell walls 32 and 33 are punched downward in the same manner, asY the same time punching out support members 21 arranged immediately therebelow. The support members are erected in a position similarto that described with respect to the outer cell walls 30 and 31. The lock tongues 49 are engaged and locked into the keeper slots 29.

The inner cell walls 32 and 33 upon being punched out are arranged in a substantially vertical position, with their toes 34a and 35a engaging the lower cell member 14. The carton is then ready for packing and closing.

The present carton has a number of advantages over' prior art cartons of a similar type. The egg sockets inthe lower cell member 14 -arelarger than the egg diameters. so that the eggs may restY therein in a slanting position,v

thus enabling large. size eggs to be placed into the carton"4 without increasing the carton dimensions. According `tothe invention, the entire punch-out portionresulting from egg socket formation isretained and utilized Vto form arv supporting strut25 and a toe portion 26 for stabilizingvthe strut portion 25 and to prevent-.it fromV sliding. The 'toe portion 26 may be engaged Aby an egg and the weight thereof prevents the endwallv30 or 31 `from being pushed outward. Additionally, the tabs 27a on support members 21 engage the detents 28 and further secureV the end walls. f Y' As a further feature, the outer cell walls also .have strut supporting wall (25 and 40).

front wall.2 land the supporting strip16.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited and scored to provide transversely aligned cell wall members dimensioned to engage saidlower cell`member andv thel adjacent side wall when in erected position, 'some of said icell wall members being provided with vertically oriented struts Aengaged :at Aone end 'with said keeper sockets and at the other end with said bottom, and means for securingy said Icover in closed position.

2. An egg carton according to claim 1 wherein the struts of saidupper cellv Wall members are provided with lateral wings.

3. An egg carton comprising a bottom, .a front wall, a rear wall, and la cover hingedly' connected to said rear wall, all cooperating y'to definel an'enclosure, an upper cell member and a lower cell member each athxed at 'one' edge to said front wall andat thev other edge to said rear wall arranged in vertically spaced substantially parallel relationship to each other when said carton is erected, said ,lower cell member being cut and scored to provide a plurality of egg socket openings therein each terminating in a keeper socket and having a supporting member hingedly connected to said'lower cell member at said keeper socket comprising a'vertioally oriented strut engaging said bottom and a Vtoe connected to said' members dimensioned to engagersaid lowerv cell member and the adjacent side wallv when in erectedy position, some yof said cell wall' membersV being providedr with struts engagedat one end with said keeper sockets and at the other endwith saidk toes, and means for securing 4said cover in closed position;

4. An egg fcarton constructed from a suitablycutand scored` integral blank comprisingv a bottom, a lower front kkwall member hingedly connected to the front edge of the. bottom, a rear wall hingedly connected to the rear edgeof the bottom and of a vertical width substantially exceeding the vertical width of the lower frontv wall member, a cover hingedly connected toV the upper edge of said rearwall,'an upper front wall member hingedly connected to the swinging edge of said cover and provided with locking tongues on itsv outer edge, an upper "cell memberY hingedly connected at one edge to said to the exact details ofvconstruction, operation, or exact 1. An egg carton comprising a bottom, a frontV wall,/75

lower rfront wall' member and hingedly connected-at its other edgeV to a downturned supporting strip `which is lixedly secured to said rear wall, a lower cell member hingedly connected at one edgeto the lower edge of said :supporting strip and having an attaching llap on its other edge secured to the inner side of said lower front wall member, said upper` and lower cell members being Vvertically' spaced in substantially parallel relationship to each other when the carton is erected, said lowercell member having 'la plurality of egg socket openings provided therein each terminating in a keeper socket. and having a supporting member hingedly vconnected* to said cell member at said'keeper socket comprising a vertically oriented strut engaging said bottom and a toe hingedly connected tosaid strut oriented horizontally in face to face engagement -with said bottom, said upper cell member being suitably cut and scored to provide transversely yalignedcell wall members dimensioned to engage the lower cell member and the adjacent side walls when in erected position, some of said cell Wall members being provided with struts engaged at one end with said keeper sockets in said lower cell members and at the other end with said toes, said upper front wall member on said cover being disposed with its edge on the inner side of said lower front wall member and in supported relation to said upper cell member with its tongues in releasable retaining engagement therewith when the cover is in closed position.

5. An integral blank lfor forming an egg carton suitably cut and scored to provide carton members cornprising a bottom, a lower front wall member hingedly connected to the front edge of lthe bottom, a rear wall bingedly connected to the near edge of the bottom and -of a vertical width substantially exceeding the vertical width of the lower front wall member, a cover lhingedly connected to the upper edge of said rear wall, an upper trout wall member hingedly connected to the swinging edge of said cover and provided with locking tongues on its outer edge, an upper cell member hingedly connected at one edge to said lower front wall member and hingedly connected at its other edge to a supporting strip adapted to be iixedly secured to said rear wall, a lower cell member hingedly connected at one edge to the lower ledge of said supporting strip and having an attaching flap on its other edge adapted to be secured to the inner side of said lower front wall member, said upper and lower cell members adapted to be vertically spaced in substantially parallel relationship to each other when the carton is erected, said lower cell member having a plurality of :egg socket openings provided there-in each terminating in a keeper socket and having a supporting member hingedly connected to said cell member at said keeper socket comprising a strut adapted to be verticali oriented yand to engage said bottom and a toe hingedly connected to said strut adapted to be oriented horizon- .tally in face to face engagement with said bottom, said upper cell member being suitably cut and scored to provide cell wall members adapted to be transversely aligned and dimensioned to engage the lower cell member and the adjacent side walls when in erected position, some olf said cell wall members being provided with struts adapted to be engaged at one end with said keeper sockets in said lower cell members and at the other end with said toes, said upper front wall member on said cover being adapted to be disposed with its edge on the inner side of said :lower front wall member and in supported relation to said upper cell member with -its tongues in releasable retaining engagement therewith when the cover is in closed position.

6. An egg carton comprising a bottom, a iront wall, a rear wa'lll, and la cover hingedly connected to said rear wall, all cooperating to define an enclosure, an upper cell member and a lower cell member each aixed at one .edge .to said front wall and at the other edge to said rear wall arranged in vertically spaced substantially parallel relationship to each other when said carton is erected, said lower cell member being cut and scored to provide a plural-ity of egg socket openings therein each terminating in a keeper socket and having a supporting member hingedly connected to said lower cell member at said keeper socket comprising a vertically oriented strut engaging said bottom .and a toe connected to said `strut oriented horizontally in face to face engagement with said bottom, said upper cell member 'being suitably cut and scored to provide transversely aligned cell Wall members dimensioned to engage said lower cell member and the adjacent side wall when in erected position, some of said cell wall members being provided with struts having lateral wings, said struts being engaged at one end with said keeper sockets and at the other end with said toes and means for securing said cover in closed position.

7. An regg carton comprising :a bottom, a front wall, a rear wal, and a cover bingedly connected to said near wall, all cooperating to -dene an enclosure, an upper cell member and a lower cell member each aixed at one edge to said front wall and at the other edge to said rear wall arranged in vertically spaced substantially parallel relationship to each other when said carton is erected, said lower :cell member being cut and scored to provide a plurality of egg socket openings therein each terminating in a keeper socket and having a supporting member hingedly connecte-d to said lower cell member at said keeper socket comprising a vertically oriented strut engaging said bottom and a toe connected to said strut oriented horizontally in face -to face engagement with said bottom, each supporting member of said lower cell member being suitably cut and scored to provide a tab at the end of the strut thereof when the toe is horizontally oriented, said bottom being transversely scored to provide a plurality of detents engaging said tabs, said upper [cell member being suitably cut and scored to provide transversely aligned cell wall members dimensioned to engage `said lower cell member and the adjacent side wall when in erected position, some of said cell wall members being provided with struts 'engaged at one end with said ykeeper sockets and at the other end with said toes, and means for securing said cover in closed position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,640,589 6/53 Foster et al 229-28 X 3,005,584 l0/6l Coe 229-28 FOREIGN PATENTS 653,154 ll/62 Canada.

FRANKLIN T. GARRETI, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN EGG CARTON COMPRISING A BOTTOM, A FRONT WALL, A REAR WALL, AND A COVER HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO SAID REAR WALL, ALL COOPERATING TO DEFINE AN ENCLOSURE, AN UPPER CELL MEMBER AND A LOWER CELL MEMBER EACH AFFIXED AT ONE EDGE TO SAID FRONT WALL AND AT THE OTHER EDGE TO SAID REAR WALL ARRANGED IN VERTICALLY SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP TO EACH OTHER WHEN SAID CARTON IS ERECTED, SAID LOWER CELL MEMBER BEING CUT AND SCORED TO PROVIDE A PLURALITY OF EGG SOCKET OPENINGS THEREIN EACH TERMINATING IN A KEEPER SOCKET AND HAVING A STRUT HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO SAID LOWER CELL MEMBER AT EACH OF SAID KEEPER SOCKETS AND VERTICALLY ORIENTED TO ENGAGE SAID BOTTOM, SAID UPPER CELL MEMBER BEING SUITABLY SLIT AND SCORED TO PROVIDE TRANSVERSELY ALIGNED CELL WALL MEM- 